1. Field of the Invention
Vibratory finishing machines or apparatus, vibrogyratory energizing packages or units particularly adapted for use in such machines, and vibrogyratory finishing methods.
2. Prior Art
Numerous vibratory and vibrogyratory finishing machines, devices, or apparatus have been proposed, many of which have a finishing chamber of a generally annular nature, usually with an upstanding central column or other space for containment either of an eccentric vibratory motor or a vibrogyratory energy package or unit in either case comprising an essentially vertical shaft having eccentric weights at each end thereof. Various of such machines, and the packages therefor, have been capable of varying degrees of vibratory or vibrogyratory intensity, and some of them have been adapted to vary the location of a weight or weights at the ends of the essentially vertical shaft either prior to or during operation. Some such devices, and the energy packages therefor, have been adapted to reverse the direction of the force factor, and accordingly also the direction of flow of the mass of finishing media and parts or workpieces within the annular finishing chamber, an aspect which is advantageous for separation, especially in certain types of finishing machines, e.g., machines having an inclined ramp which is located out of the path of travel of the mass of parts and workpieces in one direction, but which can be located in said path of travel for facilitating automatic discharge of finished parts or workpieces and finishing media from the machine, advantageously with automatic separation of finished parts from finishing media, when the flow of the mass of media and parts is in the other direction. Representative patents illustrating the foremost state of the art in this area of the finishing field are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,435,564, 3,466,815, 3,606,702, 3,161,993, U.S. Pat. No. Re 27,084, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,231 and patents cited therein. Such finishing machines embodying variable intensity energizing packages or units, and the packages or units themselves, as have been previously available, have been satisfactory in practice to a certain extent, but have left much to be desired. For example, certain of them have been cumbersome and expensive as well as unduly complex, all of them have had limited applicability for either changing intensity of vibrations or for reversing the force factor and consequently the flow of mass within the finishing chamber, and no relatively simple, inexpensive, and generally applicable energizing package or unit, or vibratory finishing machine comprising the same, has been previously available to the finishing industry, much less a versatile, generally applicable energizing unit which is readily controlled by simple means, which may be mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric, and which is readily and simply convertible to provide either diminished or increased intensity of vibrogyrations, or alternatively such diminished or increased intensity of vibrogyrations concurrently with reversal of the force factor, as desired by the operator, whether viewed as the vibrogyratory energizing package or unit per se or in place in a vibratory finishing machine for energization thereof. It is apparent that such an improved vibrogyratory energizing package or unit, and vibratory finishing machines comprising the same, which are not characterized by such inherent shortcomings, deficiencies, and disabilities of existing prior art systems, would be highly desirable and would fulfill a long-felt and important need in the finishing art. Such vibrogyratory energizing packages and finishing machines comprising the same are provided by the present invention. In addition, the present invention provides vibrogyratory energizing packages and finishing machines comprising the same which are capable of providing an increased rate of feed at low amplitudes, as compared with usual and standard machines, which are capable of only normal feed at low amplitudes, whereby the separation phase of a finishing operation may be greatly assisted. Moreover, the present invention provides a method comprising a finishing cycle and a separation cycle wherein one cycle is carried out at one vibrogyratory intensity and rate of feed whereas the other cycle is carried out at a reduced vibrogyratory intensity but without a correspondingly diminished rate of feed, again of great assistance especially during the separation phase of the finishing operation.